Eureka’s first wind phone helps people grieve loved ones

A new “wind phone” at Hospice of Humboldt in Eureka is giving people a quiet place to reflect, remember and say the words they still wish they could share with loved ones who have died.

A wind phone is a disconnected, non-functional telephone placed in a booth or natural setting, designed for one-way conversations with deceased loved ones. The idea is meant to serve as a symbolic, therapeutic tool for navigating grief, allowing people to speak about memories and emotions.

Hospice of Humboldt said its wind phone is available to anyone in the community. It is located along the path to the gazebo behind the Ida Emmerson Hospice House and is open 24 hours a day.

“Actually, I have received several emails and a couple of posts on our Facebook page of people who have already come by and have been using it and are just so grateful that it's here,” said Hospice of Humboldt Director of Development Tia Baratelle.

“For people, just because someone is gone, we still want that connection, and so that is a really beautiful way to keep that going,” said Hospice of Humboldt Director of Social Services Jessica Furland.

The first wind phone was created in Japan after the 2011 tsunami, when a man placed a phone booth on a windy hill so people could “call” loved ones they had lost. Since then, wind phones have appeared in communities around the world.

Hospice of Humboldt said the local wind phone was added at the suggestion of its Grief Support Services team.

This story originally appeared on KRCRTV.com